Vic firefighters wait for rain

The rain required to completely extinguish a blaze on Victoria's surf coast could be months away.

The destructive bushfire claimed 116 homes in Wye River and Separation Creek on Christmas Day and it sparked up again in 40C temperatures on Thursday.

Residents of Kennett River, Grey River and Wongarra began to evacuate but were then allowed to go home for New Year's Eve after a wind change pushed the destructive fire back into dense and mountainous bushland.

The blaze is not yet under control.

Fire crews continue working to contain it and are hopeful that can be achieved within days or a week.

But difficult terrain in the area means the fire won't be completely extinguished until significant rainfall comes through, deputy incident controller David Rourke said.

"The only way we can be assured it is extinguished is through significant, soaking rain over an extended period of time," he told AAP on Saturday.